Crazy Yellowstone

[1stgenfarmboy]

My Dad and stepmom just told me last weekend they wanted to go to Colorado and up to Yellowstone this year in mid Aug and wants me to drive, so I got on the line to see if there was some rooms at Old Faithful Inn......yeh not till 2020.... I can get on a waiting list for 2019 but nothing for 2018, as a matter of fact she said there is nothing in the entire park for 4 people in the sub 250 a night range for 2018, except a couple cabins in Lake Lodge so I reserved one of them.


Is she pulling my leg with some kind of sales gimmic to try to get me to buy the $400-500 a night rooms ? ?

PS we won't be taking the camper this trip, his class B and my TT are really only couples rigs.

[1stgenfarmboy]

I have a new truck and TT, but moving to a new location each night is not what I call camping, on paper the money difference is 400 less to pull my TT, for 3,700 miles in 15 days.... it is not worth it , besides I would give my bed to my Dad and stepmom and me and the wife would need to sleep on the table bed, I will give the extra not to sleep on a table for 15 nights.



so far it's looking pretty good, I found some really cools places to stay in Silverton and the Tetons.

[old_guy]

rent a truck and travel tt

[1stgenfarmboy]

I did get the Lake Lodge cabin for $131.00 a night for 3 nights, even though I/we really wanted to stay at the Old Faithful this time, I have been to Yellowstone a few times and yes camping is much the way to go, but it won't work this time.


I wish Dads B would tow my TT but there is no way. and We could I guess take my rig but we will be heading across the plains states to Creede Co. and moving every night and working our way through Durango, Silverton, Telluride, Ridgway, and up through the Tetons to Yellowstone then back through the BigHorns and Rapid City, in 15 days.

Not the Ideal camping trip.

I think I will keep the cabin at Lake Lodge because it is pretty centrally located and Old Faithful, Canyon area will be where we will do the most of our 3 days.

I thought about going in mid Sep, but the chances of a early snow that mite close a road for a day is something we can't afford, if I was camping in the park for a couple weeks then heck yes it would be late Sep.



I could have found a room outside the park, but don't want to be driving that far each day to and from the room.


So I guess what I am hearing is if We ever want to spend the night at the Old Faithful Inn, I need to reserve 2 years in advance, she said May 2017 is when they started taking reservations for 2019.


I always pull up the webcams at Old Faithful every morning when I sit down at my desk and I day dream about getting up at the crack of dawn and walk around the place, I guess if I do that this trip I will need to get up a little sooner and drive an hour.

[2gypsies1]

Cody,WY is another option for rooms.

On Edit... I just checked other places in Yellowstone and there are openings. For instance, at Mammoth Hotel there are openings from Aug 9 - Aug 17 for $168.

Your choice of staying at Old Faithful is your problem, I believe. I'd prefer to stay IN the park in another area rather than going outside the park.

[Crowe]

Is she pulling my leg with some kind of sales gimmic to try to get me to buy the $400-500 a night rooms ? ?

No, she is not pulling your leg. It's the basic laws of supply and demand. They know that time of year if you won't pay the $ someone else will. I do extensive travel planning, both business and personal. I agree with staying outside but as close to the park as possible. It will be less expensive. It will not be the same experience as staying in the park but should be just as enjoyable.

Another tactic to get inside the park is to book something outside with a liberal cancellation policy and then keep checking to see if something opens up in the park.

[DaveG39]

I second the West Yellowstone hotel comment. You can drive in from there or take a tour bus of varying sizes from companies in West Yellowstone. Town is right next to west gate of the park. I have stayed with RV in West Yellowstone. Easily accessible to the park attractions. That time of year expect lines or crowds for much of the park.

[westernrvparkow]

Your room inside the park will be unlike any room you have ever had. There will be no television, likely no internet, and depending on carrier, your cell phone may or may not have service. Your only dining will be expensive and limited to one or two options. Shopping for anything will be limited to a couple of very pricy souvenir shops. If that is OK with everyone, Yellowstone is worth any price. If your group prefers having those afformentioned creature comforts, West Yellowstone and Gardiner Montana are both adjacent to park entrances and have numerous, available lodging options for less money, creature comforts included.

[Thom02099]

A quick Trivago search shows that there are rooms available, starting at $77/night for a mythical 7 day stay in mid-August, at the Headwaters Lodge in Moran, just outside Yellowstone. Nothing else came up inside the park.

[kerrlakeRoo]

Can your dad's B tow the tt?

[ppine]

I have been going to Yellowstone since 1955. My Dad first went in 1938. It is not set up for staying in lodges and obviously the demand outstrips the supply by a lot. I avoid July and August entirely. The best times are in the spring when the babies are out and the second half of Sept during the elk rut. Camp if you are going to Yellowstone.

[kohldad]

August is an extremely busy time and Old Faithful area is the most desired. I just checked and did find a few rooms available at Lake Lodge Cabin for arriving Aug 13, 2018.

An alternative would be to go before June 29 when the crowds get there. Babies are just coming out and the weather is usually very nice.

[D_E_Bishop]

Just a couple of questions, did you try to make reservations on line or by calling. The DW has been sucessful with calling. She has been sucessful in extending our stay by walking into the office at the park when on line there were no spaces available.

Have you tried for reservations in West Yellowstone. WY is a neat little town, or at least it was and rooms would probably be cheaper.

I had to edit because I remember wrong.

[GordonThree]

I've stayed a few times in a room more than $300 a night. One was a suite on the Mediterranean Ocean in Naples, another was on the Atlantic in Marathon Key.

Family members thought it was neat to spend $2500 a night for a room with only three walls on some central American island resort. I wasn't involved with that trip thankfully.

Yellowstone is great but I don't think I'd splurge that kind of cash on a room there.